navigating multiple partners and oral herpes

This is pretty relevant for me right now. For me its mouth related herpes, but navigating that in a relationship, implications re: kissing, oral sex, etc. and then implications when multiple partners are involved, or a partners’ partner in an open relationship! Also implications for the risk of transmission when we are asymptomatic VS have current symptoms AND the fact that people can contract it and show no symptoms, whereas others will be very symptomatic.

To add to that, I’m not even sure I have it based on symptoms, but I’m definitely not sure I do have it. Symptoms can vary enormously from one person to another and people can sometimes not react to it.

Not super obvious about how to deal with this right now. Thought I’d share.

i contracted herpes I in the genital area from receiving oral sex from someone who wasn’t having an outbreak at the time. i would say, get a blood test to find out if you do actually have herpes, and then have a full disclosure policy with partners and negotiate using whatever kind of protection you’re both comfortable with, and have your partners do the same with their other partners and on and on, making sure everyone is aware of the associated risks… in the end i think it should be manageable as long as everyone is communicating…

[…] If anyone understands how open communication can kick stigma’s ass, it’s the woman who brought us Venus Envy! In blog time Pass The Herpes is still in it’s infancy, but this baby’s growing…FAST! People are talking, writing and telling their stories. One of my favourite posts so far talks about negotiating herpes disclosure in the world of online dating. Another explores the challenges of managing oral herpes with multiple partners. […]